For this week’s blog we wanted to highlight another inspiring and local plant-based individual. We caught up with Lexi Purrington, a Salt Lake City-based nutrition coach and personal trainer, and powerful advocate for the animals.

Lexi and her beloved/rescued pitbull, Amelia. #adoptdontshop

Sage Mountain: When and why did you decide to go vegan?

Lexi Purrington: I began experimenting with veganism somewhat on accident. I remember hearing how bad dairy was for your skin and how meat attributes to weight gain. As a pre-teen that was enough to get me started. At first it was completely about the way I looked. I had gotten myself into a bad spot where that was the only thing in the world that mattered, but ironically ended up saving my life on the same type of “diet”. A few years later, I began reading about the hidden animals of the industry and what exactly went on during the process of slaughtering them. Today, I remain vegan for the animals, the environment, my health, and human rights.

SM: What has benefited you most about being vegan?

LP: Watching how my body has changed, and seeing the amount of energy I have increase year after year, has been the biggest benefit. My heart and bones have gotten stronger, my endurance is longer, and my recovery time is much shorter.

SM: What sort of training do you do and how often?

LP: I train 5-6 days per week for an hour each session. I typically pair body parts together like back and biceps, glutes and hamstrings, etc. I incorporate cardio at the beginning of most of my workouts and typically train with weights and resistance machines.

SM: What do you think is the biggest misconception about vegans especially being an athlete yourself? And how do you combat those myths?

LP: People often say that vegans are fragile or weak, or somehow get placed into a feminine category (i.e. real men eat bacon/hunt). I work hard every day to show people that we are just as strong, fast, and powerful as everybody else. It’s become somewhat inspirational to me to “beat the odds” and show just how tough we can be.

SM: Love that. What do other trainers/fitness folk think of you being vegan and what is the most common question you are asked?

LP: Where in the world I could possibly get my protein. Honestly I had never even given protein a single thought before getting into the fitness industry but it seems that everyone has this crazy obsession with it. It’s literally in almost everything and I think what a lot of people don’t realize is that it can actually be dangerous to overdo it. Most trainers I meet use that as an excuse as to why they would never go vegan but what they do not understand is that it’s just as convenient to get the right amount from plant-based sources, and much easier for your body to digest.

LP: It definitely varies from day to day but I regularly consume a lot of nuts, nut butters, alternative milks like almond and soy, leafy green vegetables and plenty of tofu/tempeh in order to get a good mix of calcium, protein and iron.

SM: What is your advice to those looking to get stronger/gain muscle? What is your advice to those looking to lose weight?

LP: Always prepare, be patient with yourself, and don’t get too comfortable doing the same thing. For people looking to gain muscle, I recommend higher weight/lower reps and individually training muscle groups each week. For people trying to lose weight, I recommend mixing up their cardio routine and incorporating weightlifting in order to up their metabolism. All of this can not be done without fueling your body with the right foods so be sure to incorporate a diet rich in fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and whole grains.

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Huge thanks to Lexi for taking the time to speak with us and share some of her incredible insight, knowledge, and health-tips!

We encourage you to reach out to Lexi for any further inquiries regarding nutrition, meal-plans, and personal-training.